Impact of “remedial video demonstrations” on blood pressure recording skills among first-year medical students

Introduction: The accurate measurement of blood pressure is one of the most fundamental clinical skills taught to medical students. Blood pressure measurement is essential in the diagnosis and management of numerous conditions, including hypertension, heart disease, and renal disorders. Videos provide students with the ability to review procedures at their own pace, reinforce learning through visual repetition, and focus on specific steps that they find challenging. Previous studies have demonstrated that video-based learning can significantly enhance the acquisition of practical skills, particularly in medical education where visual and kinesthetic learning are crucial. This study was aimed to assess how well remedial video demonstrations help first-year medical students take their blood pressure. Materials and Methods: A sample of 250 participants was determined to provide adequate statistical power to detect significant differences in blood pressure recording skills before and after the intervention. The videos were made available to participants via an online platform, ensuring easy access from personal devices. The primary outcome of the study was the change in the students’ proficiency in blood pressure recording, as measured by the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) checklist. Results: The postintervention OSCE assessments revealed a statistically significant improvement in the students’ blood pressure recording skills. The average number of correctly performed steps increased to 17.3 out of 20 (SD ± 2.5), demonstrating marked improvement across nearly all steps of the procedure. Conclusion: Integration of video demonstrations into medical education as a supplementary tool can reinforce hands-on training, especially for procedural skills requiring stepwise accuracy and attention to detail.